Attorney in the family law department, with a focus on resolution. Work with clients in marital/domestic partnership dissolution, property division, child custody and visitation, and child and spousal support cases.

·Managed a full caseload as lead attorney in various family law issues, ranging from custody/visitation,support, property/asset division/valuation. This includes various court appearances, such as law andmotion hearings, settlement conferences, or trials.·Drafted and negotiated prenuptial/postnuptial agreements, and other family law agreements.·Coached clients through family law meditations.·Assisted clients (both parties) as a neutral mediator to settle family law cases.·Assisted clients through uncontested second-parent adoptions and name/gender change requests.

·Represented clients in various family law issues as a self-employed managing attorney.·Managed cases and volunteered on a pro-bono basis through local non-profits and bar associations.

•Made court appearances.•Drafted memorandums and declarations concerning property characterization, child custody, domestic violence, parentage, and other family law issues.•Prepared responding and propounding discovery requests.•Reviewed clients' financial information to complete financial disclosure forms.•Interviewed clients, maintained client communications, and composed attorney correspondence letters.

•Met with self-represented litigants to complete court forms and pleadings for child custody and visitation motions, modifications of support obligations, petitions and responses to dissolution, and other family law actions.•Provided case summaries for the Honorable Judge Charlotte W. Woolard for the Self Represented Litigant Calendar.•Briefed the Senior Staff Attorney on cases heading for final judgments of dissolution, and prepared Judgments of Dissolution using the California Judicial Council Forms.

·Researched substantive and procedural law for the Honorable Judge Ronald E. Albers in Department 404 of the Unified Family Court.·Drafted bench memorandums and Findings and Order After Hearing for pro per litigants.·Observed court proceedings in the Law and Motion calendar, domestic violence, and long-term hearings dealing with spousal support, child custody, dissolution, restraining orders, and other family law issues.

·Performed direct intake with client facing various legal issues, including housing law, government benefits, estate, and insurance law.. ·Advocated for persons with HIV/AIDS by composing requests foraccommodations, cease and desist letters, and negotiating with landlords.·Conducted detailed research project on same-sex estate planning laws and the impact of the California Domestic Partnership Act.

·Researched substantive and procedural laws in the areas of family, trust and estates, and housing law. ·Drafted discovery responses, motions and supporting documents, and family law California Judicial Council forms. ·Attended depositions, settlement conferences and court proceedings.

·Provided support to over 60 journalists, and functioned as primary point of contact for an organization with a circulation of over 100,000 daily subscribers.·Authored news and human interest articles for publication under deadlines, including a cover-page travel section article.·Researched projects as requested by staff journalists.·Reviewed press releases, and answered reader tips for 'breaking news' hotline.